Best Video Codec For Streaming in 2025 - AV1 vs H.265 vs VP9 ?

Streaming in UHD or 4K is the new norm. But do you know a 2-hour long 4K video would hog over 1.8 TB of storage when uncompressed and streamed?

So, how do video streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube manage to store and stream such large video files, that too in huge volumes? How much are their storage and bandwidth costs?

The big names in the video streaming space use modern video compression technology (Codecs) to reduce file size while keeping video quality optimal for seamless delivery across devices. But how?

They use the best video codecs ever made, i.e., AV1, H265 (HEVC), and VP9.

“Streaming and Chilling would never have been coined together without the invention of video codecs. It’s like, codecs are the reason, viewers comfortably stream their favorite videos even with limited bandwidth.”

At LinqTV, we have mastered the art of super-fast yet efficient video encoding. Our video compression technology supports popular video codecs like AVC, HEVC, VP9, and AV1. Encoding videos with LinqTV is fast, easy, simple, code-free, and, most importantly, affordable. Deliver lag-free video playback up to 4K resolution, keeping your storage and bandwidth costs at a minimum. Sign up to take a free trial. No credit card required, cancel anytime.

A video codec is a ready-made software algorithm used for compressing and decompressing video streams. The modern compression techniques compress high-definition videos into a more manageable size, ensuring seamless content storage as well as delivery.

The best thing about using a video codec is that there is no compromise in the video quality during the compression and decompression process. It’s simple, codecs are in charge of interpreting all the data and content stored in the video files and controlling how the video is streamed on the user’s screen.

The best video codecs work on multiple compression algorithms, such as chroma subsampling and motion compression. The video compression works in three simple steps:

Video Codecs are mainly categorized into two types – lossless and Lossy. The lossless video codecs preserve all the data and information during video compression, while the lossy video codecs prioritize higher compression ratios by removing redundant video frame data such as intra-frame and inter-frame information.

Once compressed, all the components of the video are wrapped into a specific file format, termed as Containers. Generally, the containers store video codecs, audio codecs, closed captioning, and other important metadata, supporting multiple file formats such as MKV, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, QT, and AVCHD.

For more details on video containers, read our blog: Understanding the Role of Codec and Container in Live Video Streaming